In honor of the forgotten Earth Day

Friday marked the 41st Earth Day, and it passed in our communities without any noticeable celebrations, proclamations and only one school-related project, that we know of.

There was nary a community trash pick-up party or tree planting effort. No press releases from local or state conservation organizations graced our inboxes.

Here at the Pilot we were looking forward to publishing feel-good stories and photos about local Earth Day activities in today's issue. The only thing we were able to find andndash; three students gathering trash andndash; is published on Page 1A.

This is not the first year that Earth Day has passed quietly in our corner of the world. That's not to say that people don't care about environmental issues. Some do. The volunteer group called the Curry County Trash Dogs regularly finds and rids our local wilderness areas of illegally dumped trash. Dozens of people participate in the twice-yearly Oregon Beach Cleanups. Occasionally, we spot individuals carrying a sack and picking up trash during their daily walk.

While the honeymoon between Earth Day and the public appears to be over, there are some small things each of us can do. They all fall under the categories of reduce, reuse or recycle.

We are not going to take sides in controversies such as paper vs. plastic bas, cloth vs. disposable diapers, or paper vs. foam cup, but, as we decide on these choices, we can put a little Earth Day spirit in what we are doing.

Let's not wait until the next Earth Day to start doing more in our own lives to make a difference andndash; for the sake of humanity and the Earth.